6-17. People of Baron Muno Territory (8)

Satou's here. During the time when I was working, I've won intense arguments when we had difference for the requested source, but now that I'm living a calm life in this world, I've grown a bit dull.
However, I wonder if living humanly is nothing but illusion for the people who lives in this brutal world.

◇

"Here's the luggage we have recovered from the thieves."
"Oh dear, you even got our luggage on top of helping us."

Hayuna-san says thank you while receiving the luggage. Toruma-shi peeks into the luggage, and asks after hesitating.

"Have you seen a dagger inside the luggage?"
"Those were the only things in the hideout. But there should be many of that from the thieves' belongings."
"It's a dagger with white leather sheath..."
"If it's that one, it was held by the leader-like bearded daruma. Wait a minute."

While saying so, I take out a dagger from the toolbox on the edge of the wagon. Of course, I took it out from the storage. The dagger's shear is relatively simple, but there's a beautiful family crest design placed at one point, it's quite fashionable. The blade is not a magic tool, but it's made from mithril forged by dwarves.

"Is this it?"
"Yes, that's it!"

Toruma-shi who's going to receive the dagger from me is stopped by Arisa's words.

"Wait, that's our appropriate reward for exterminating the thieves. We've even acquired permission from the knights. If you want it, you have to present something with equal value."

"This has a crest of my family engraved. I can't hand it to others."
"So what? You, I know that you're emotional from the reunion, but you haven't even said thank you for the saving right? Moreover, you even have the gall to claim other people's possession?"
"You need to be more polite toward adults."
"Sorry, but that's for when the negotiation is over. During a negotiation, I'll talk in equal term even if the opponent is a king, that's my style."

It really does look like she'd talk in that tone even to a king.

Toruma-shi cannot retort to Arisa's harsh words.
Hayuna-san who's unable to watch this is putting a good word for Toruma-shi.

"Dear, first, please say thank you to them. This person had used expensive magic potion to save the dying you. Furthermore, he protected me from knights and thieves' sword saving my life. On top of that, they sneaked into the dangerous thieves' hideout, and even saved Mayuna. Now, let's tell them words of gratitude."
"You're right Hayuna. I was wrong. Merchant-dono, this Toruma am truly grateful for your kindness."

Toruma couple bow together.

"However, I'd like you to return this dagger no matter what. Of course, I'll give anything I'm able to."

It seems he has recognized that the property right belongs to me, but it's still, "Return it to me.", rather than, "Please give it to me."

"Is anything alright?"
"M, my daughter and wife are off limit."

Toruma-shi frantically covers his wife and daughter. I think it's rude that he covers even my line of sight. Perhaps, he's thinking that I'm a man without honor.
Though I guess it can't be helped if he thinks like that to a person who's journeying together with seven girls of different types.

"Right then, you don't have money or jewelries right?"
"Umu, everything was taken away by the thieves."
"What about magic tools?"
"Those were also taken away by the thieves."

Arisa shrugs exaggeratedly.
She's probably aware of that from the start, but she knows about his connection to the duke--in other words, a nephew of big noble, so she's probably attempting to weasel rewards from his parent's house.

"It's impossible right now, but if we get to the dukedom... no, I'll pay if you let us go with you until the castle of baron Muno."
"What? Are you acquainted with the baron?"
"Yeah, he's my second cousin from my father's side. You, I can't commend your calling, add the 'sama' suffix."

Arisa plainly ignores Toruma-shi's words.

"Then, how much is this dagger worth?"
"It's an important heirloom, so it has never been valued. As a gratitude, I'll give you 5 gold coins."

Arisa glances to me, exchanging looks for a second.
By the way, the dagger's market price is 30 gold coins. The price is extraordinary among non-magic tools. For now let's exaggerate the information I've got from the AR.

"Toruma-san, I've evaluated this dagger just before, with the nicely designed sheath along with the beautiful mithril-made blade forged by the famous dwarven artisan, Dohar-shi, it would not worth less than 30 gold coins."
"If we get it to a connoisseur duke, or other nobles who like to compete for their interest, it could be more expensive right."

Arisa is speaking quite a vicious thing.

"T, that would be troubling. However, even nobles would have hard time raising such large amount of gold coins.
"Right~, since our master doesn't have money problem, you could pay it with non-cash."
"We ran away from house, so even if I go back to my parent's house, I have no great item to give you."
"Oh right, I've heard from your wife that you were using scroll to defend yourself from the thieves right?"
"Yeah, my parent is managing a scroll workshop. When I was leaving my house, I was given many scrolls to protect ourselves."
"Hoo, scroll workshop huh, I'd like to observe it by all mean."
"Yes, If you pay a visit to the capital of the dukedom--Oyugock city, please visit us."

I unintentionally cut myself between the talk, Arisa is glancing at me as if saying, "Don't disturb the negotiation."
Still, scroll workshop huh, if I learn how to make them, I could mass produce them myself. It's probably full of secret, so normally they would refuse a visit, I'm lucky for this.
When Arisa asks the price of scroll, '3-5 silver coins' comes back as the answer.

"Our master is a collector of scrolls. He could chant spell for magic himself, so when we get back to our mansion, he would explain about scrolls like from what age or from which workshop this and that scrolls are to the servants."

Arisa is quite a good talker huh. If I'm a magician then I have no need for scrolls to cast magic, and if I'm a collector then I probably wouldn't resell it. Moreover, he wouldn't give me only the same kind of scrolls.

"Oh, I thought that you were a merchant, turned out you're a magician are you."
"I'm still an amateur who could only use a few magic arts. Rather, I'm more active as a merchant."
"Scrolls distribution is regulated by law, so I can't sell you one if you're going to resell them, but if you're a magician then there's no problem. I'm saying this just to be clear, but it's impossible to sell intermediate magic scrolls as decreed by the army."
"Yes, it's enough with beginner class. However, since I'm a collector, I wouldn't be pleased if you only give me the same type of scrolls, so I prefer that you give various type."
"It might be difficult to find as much as 30 gold coins worth of scrolls with no duplicate, since we usually only make the well-selling ones of around 20 types, I might have look in the warehouse."
"Ara, we could just ask the people from scroll workshop to make one with the requested spell right."
"Ah, that's right. Of course, it would take several days. Satou-dono, are you fine with that?"
"Yes, the contract is established then."

I nod to Toruma-shi, and is going to give him the dagger, but Arisa stops us again.

"Verbal promise is no good. I'll make a written contract, please put your signature and make an inscription wax from the seal on that dagger's pommel."

Arisa holds out the written contract to Toruma-shi. Written there are, [As compensation for the dagger, Toruma-shi is to pay Satou with scrolls worth 30 gold coins],[The price of the scrolls shall follow its retail price], [The scrolls cannot be duplicate], [If there is not enough variant, Satou will choose beginner spell to be made into scroll], [In case the scroll need to be made, Toruma-shi will be bear the cost for the order], and lastly, [In case of contract breach, Toruma-shi and his family will serve Satou as slaves for 30 years].

"Would you erase this last entry?"

Toruma-shi puts a bitter expression, but Arisa persists.

"No, but, okay then. Is the present head of your parent's house a viscount? Or a baron?
"It's viscount. Viscount Shimen."
"Then how about, 『In case of contract breach, in the name of viscount Shimen, Toruma-shi will pay 90 gold coins』, that?"
"90 gold coins?! That's too much."
"Ara, it's just a what if scenario. When you fulfill the contract by giving 30-40 scrolls, that'd be the end of story. Or are you going to give up the dagger?"

Arisa is smiling very badly. She's really enjoying it. Arisa is surely an S. No doubt.

"It can't be helped, the latter is fine."

In the end, after groaning for a while, Toruma-shi signs the contract that Arisa has written. She even prepared a marked copy. In her previous life, I wonder if she worked in the law firm?

◇

"Birds~"
"Prey are few nodesu."

Pochi and Tama brought back two birds about the size of pigeons, and five small eggs. They also brought beech fruits, wild grasses, and edible wild plants inside the bag. I wonder if they were taught by the old people and the children, they brought back more variety of wild grasses. I give appreciation for the two who are dropping their shoulders since they cannot find many prey. I'm going to boil the eggs and give half for each members.

"All of your slaves look strong."
"Yes, according to the soldier of Seryuu city, they're comparable to senior knights."
"That's amazing. But, if that so, then I could understand how you could exterminate that many thieves."
"That's because there were two real knights with us today."
"Those knights! Are their your acquaintances?"

As expected, even a mild, or rather a weak-willed person would lose their cool when it's about the people who've almost killed him.

"No, it was our first meeting. Seems that they were knights of baron Muno."
"What, they were knights of cousin-dono huh, I can't believe that a knight would go after person from behind even in my wildest dream."
"Yes, they also almost killed the madam."
"Is that true?"
"Yes, it was good that I made it in time."

While we are having that chat, the meal's preparation has finished. We arrange the seating for the meal like usual. Without the large platter, the menu today are fried bird meat with vegetables on individual tureens, potato soup inside the mugs, and two boiled potatoes for each.

"Hoo, these are quite grand."

Toruma-shi licks his lips dropping his cheeks, but it seems he's not pleased with the plates' number.

"Huh? Are you going to let the slaves and servants eat together with the master?"
"Yes, they're my journey companions. We'd deepen our solidarity by eating together. Isn't it also like that in the army?"
"However, what if we catch illness by eating together with slaves."
"Dear, these children are quite clean. We ourselves smell of sweats."

I've never been in an army though.
Toruma-shi looks dissatisfied, but he's convinced by Hayuna-san. I didn't think of it because Zena-san acted like normal, but a noble-related person would not want to eat together with slaves after all huh.

Still, saying things like catching illness if we eat together is rude.

I divide the seating during meal into two. Rather than for Toruma, I did it because it seemed that our girls wouldn't be able to enjoy their meal.
Since it'd be rude for me as a host to isolate Toruma couple, together with Nana, I sit with the couple.